The USS Yorktown in her present state three miles deep on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. This picture shows the ship's air traffic control center (the four windows on the right), topped by the remains of the gun director, an early version of computerized weaponry that included a telescope which directed the guns by remote control. Photo courtesy / David Doubilet/National Geographic

The Yorktown’s identifying numeral—5—appears on her bow. Also visible is a crack that probably opened when the carrier hit bottom at a speed estimated to be about 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour.

At the bow, two 20-millimeter antiaircraft guns are dimly visible in a gun tub below the flight deck. Lines through the hawser hole may have been used to haul in a towing cable in an attempt to save the carrier.

Three miles (4.8 kilometers) beneath the Pacific, the Yorktown still points her guns skyward, toward the Japanese warplanes that bombed her. (This and the other photos were taken by cameras on a U.S. Navy robot submersible.)

Guns top part of the “island,” the superstructure housing the bridge and pilothouse. The circular object is a wiper used to clear a foggy porthole. Countless coats of paint keep the ship gray and free from corrosion.

The wooden flight deck, which would have jutted over the stern, was apparently ripped away when the ship plunged into the seafloor.

On the port side, a hole shows where two aerial torpedoes hit on June 4, 1942, ripping away armor plate and opening the hull. Oil stains above the hole indicate that the torpedoes ruptured fuel tanks.

I have Ballard's book "The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal" and try to watch all the specials on the tube. I find this sort of archeology extremely intriguing. Deep Sea detectives also has some good episodes.

Originally Posted By 50cal:Cool post. Thanks.Now if they can find some of the US subs like the Tang to see what happened to her.

The USS Lagarto (SS 371) was found not too long ago off of Thailand.

PEARL HARBOR, HI--– Submarine veterans were honored in a Veterans Day ceremony held at Pearl Harbor Naval Station on Friday, Nov. 11. Among those remembered were the 86 men lost in 1945 aboard USS Lagarto (SS 371), whose wreckage was discovered by divers in the Gulf of Thailand earlier this year.

Rear Adm. James Beebe, deputy commander of Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, spoke about the multiple missions that submarines carried out during World War II, calling submarines "a crucial component of our nation's victory."

“They rescued downed U.S. airmen. They inserted commandos behind enemy lines. They ran supplies to troops and allies when it was impossible to get through by any other means. They gathered intelligence and photographed beaches in advance of major amphibious landings. And they operated in dangerous Japanese-controlled home waters, inflicting a stranglehold on the enemy's industrial machine,” said Beebe.

The ceremony was particularly meaningful for family members of crewmen killed aboard USS Lagarto, one of 52 American submarines lost during World War II. The submarine was last seen off the coast of Thailand on May 4, 1945, where it rendezvoused with another submarine to prepare for an attack on a Japanese convoy.

In May of 2005, a British diving team found what they believe is the Lagarto about 200 feet below the surface in the Gulf of Thailand. According to reports from the divers, a torpedo door was open and the torpedo was missing. That, said Beebe, suggests that USS Lagarto "went down fighting."

“I believe that is indicative of all the submarines that served in World War II," said Beebe. "Under the most perilous of conditions, they stayed focused on their mission. They were ready to go down fighting if need be… and sadly, many of them did. But our nation is eternally grateful.”

redleg13a [Member]

1/14/2006 5:59:55 PM EST

Originally Posted By dport:Personally, I find this sort of thing akin to grave robbing.

Why? As long as they don't remove anything from the ship, it's OK.

WWoodworth [Team Member]

1/14/2006 6:29:38 PM EST

Originally Posted By dport:Personally, I find this sort of thing akin to grave robbing.

Sounds more like documenting history. Care to explain your comment so I can better understand?

Woody

arbob [Team Member]

1/14/2006 7:12:05 PM EST

Originally Posted By dport:Personally, I find this sort of thing akin to grave robbing.

Actually no crew members were left on Yorktown. IIRC, the wounded and other crew members were removed when she was originally disabled with one exception who was recovered by the USS Hamman. The dead were buried at sea.

dport [Team Member]

1/15/2006 1:24:07 AM EST

Originally Posted By WWoodworth:

Originally Posted By dport:Personally, I find this sort of thing akin to grave robbing.

Sounds more like documenting history. Care to explain your comment so I can better understand?

Woody

I hate to pull out the old, "if I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand," but that's the case here. I know mine is a minority opinion, and I don't expect much agreement with it.

What I find interesting the the copyright date: 1999.

Silesius [Member]

1/15/2006 1:29:17 AM EST

Good grief. 3 miles.

vito113 [Team Member]

1/15/2006 1:32:32 AM EST

Originally Posted By redleg13a:

Originally Posted By dport:Personally, I find this sort of thing akin to grave robbing.

Why? As long as they don't remove anything from the ship, it's OK.

These ships are the crews grave and final resting place. Would you be too happy if a group of strangers started hanging around one of your families graves and started taking pictures, measurements and turning it into a commercial spectacle....

Say 'here rests the <add name>' and leave it in peace.

ANdy

woodbutcher223308 [Team Member]

1/15/2006 2:22:56 AM EST

I would rather see photos of enemy ships laying on the bottom.

griderhill [Member]

1/15/2006 3:55:29 AM EST

I just started a new book last night. The author was serving on New Caledonia when they heard we may have lost a Carrier but everything on the subject was hush-hush. A couple of days later he was patrolling the beach in a jeep and came upon two floatation vest both marked LEX. Said he new then but took serveral days for his buddies to believe. Shoot, just realized that's the Yorktown, not the Lexington. Maybe I should read more and look at the pictures less.

arbob [Team Member]

1/15/2006 6:04:08 AM EST

Originally Posted By vito113:

Originally Posted By redleg13a:

Originally Posted By dport:Personally, I find this sort of thing akin to grave robbing.

Why? As long as they don't remove anything from the ship, it's OK.

These ships are the crews grave and final resting place. Would you be too happy if a group of strangers started hanging around one of your families graves and started taking pictures, measurements and turning it into a commercial spectacle....

Say 'here rests the <add name>' and leave it in peace.

ANdy

While I understand your feelings, many of the crews of these vessels appreciate seeing their old ship and by extension their former shipmates at least one more time. As long as the wreck is respected, I don`t think it`s any more "grave robbing" than vets or other people going to military cemetaries or battlefields to pay their respects. As for turning it into a commercial spectacle, just try visiting Gettysburg.

The_Macallan [Team Member]

1/15/2006 6:14:04 AM EST

tag

astro [Team Member]

1/15/2006 8:44:07 AM EST

Some friends and I are planning a dive trip to Truk Lagoon summer 2007. I want to see some of these relics before they disintegrate.

dport [Team Member]

1/15/2006 10:08:58 AM EST

Originally Posted By arbob:While I understand your feelings, many of the crews of these vessels appreciate seeing their old ship and by extension their former shipmates at least one more time.

Do you really think letting crewmembers one last look at the ship pays for the expedition?

As long as the wreck is respected, I don`t think it`s any more "grave robbing" than vets or other people going to military cemetaries or battlefields to pay their respects. As for turning it into a commercial spectacle, just try visiting Gettysburg.

The difference between a shipwreck and a battlefield is on the battlefield the dead are gathered and buried. A shipwreck is the burial ground for a ship and its crew. The better analogy would be digging up bodies in a cemetary just to see what kind of injuries the body sustained. IMO, it's disrespectful, and I have seen few of these expeditions that don't return with something. For the EDMUND FITZGERALD they retrieved the bell. For the MONITOR they brought up the turret. Hell, they planned on raising the TITANIC at one point. Graverobbing, IMO, is an apt analogy.

dcm_ar15 [Member]

1/15/2006 10:31:48 AM EST

What amazes me is that the Yorktown is in excellent condition. Almost better than than CV10 Yorktown in Wilmington. I always thought is was BS say that the Yorktown was lost at the battle of midway. It was lost to a submarine attack later! Anyway, I'm gald it's in good condition. FWIW, there are no bodies, or very very few, that were sunk with Yorktown.

Merrell [Team Member]

1/15/2006 10:32:17 AM EST

Originally Posted By dport:For the EDMUND FITZGERALD they retrieved the bell.

In November 1994 The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) was invited to Mariner's Church in Detroit, Michigan because of concern expressed by family members surviving the Fitzgerald's lost crew. Advancements in diving technology were allowing more and more divers to visit the wrecksite. As the Fitzgerald is the final resting-place for their beloved husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, the families were not in favor of the site being disturbed.

GLSHS Executive Director Tom Farnquist, and Tim Ascew, Director of Marine Operations for Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, listened to the families' plea that their grief was still painfully acute after nearly 20 years. The families were seeking a way to bring closure to their feelings of loss.

The discussion led to the families' suggestion that one, single significant artifact be recovered from the wreck to serve as a symbolic memorial. The ship's bell, which was attached to the roof of the pilothouse, was unanimously selected to serve this important purpose. Further, it was suggested that a replica bell, inscribed with the names of the lost crewmen, be placed on the wreck as a permanent grave marker.

dport [Team Member]

1/15/2006 10:43:07 AM EST

Originally Posted By Merrell:

Originally Posted By dport:For the EDMUND FITZGERALD they retrieved the bell.

In November 1994 The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) was invited to Mariner's Church in Detroit, Michigan because of concern expressed by family members surviving the Fitzgerald's lost crew. Advancements in diving technology were allowing more and more divers to visit the wrecksite. As the Fitzgerald is the final resting-place for their beloved husbands, fathers, sons and brothers, the families were not in favor of the site being disturbed.

GLSHS Executive Director Tom Farnquist, and Tim Ascew, Director of Marine Operations for Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, listened to the families' plea that their grief was still painfully acute after nearly 20 years. The families were seeking a way to bring closure to their feelings of loss.

The discussion led to the families' suggestion that one, single significant artifact be recovered from the wreck to serve as a symbolic memorial. The ship's bell, which was attached to the roof of the pilothouse, was unanimously selected to serve this important purpose. Further, it was suggested that a replica bell, inscribed with the names of the lost crewmen, be placed on the wreck as a permanent grave marker.

Read the part in red. They had the bell retreived so they could have it before some treasure hunters got it, basically. That's the point, if people would leave these sights alone there wouldn't be any need to salvage something for the families.

TimJ [Team Member]

1/16/2006 11:35:24 AM EST

I used to work with an old dude we called "Yorktown Jim" He was an aviation machinists mate on her when she was hit and when she finally sunk.

One day we were chatting, he mentioned he had joined the Navy in 1938. A light went off in my head. "Where were you on December 7th?"

"Ford Island"

Old boy had been around.

He retired in 1968 a Master Chief, from biplanes to supersonic jets in one career.